According to recent reports, the Tian Fu New Area Science Society expects to light up urban night skies, not with traditional streetlamps, but rather an artificial moon.

The organization plans to launch the illumination satellite by 2020, so that it will illuminate night skies around the city of Chengdu, China, glowing simultaneously along with the actual moon, yet eight times brighter. According to plans, the organization will launch three additional satellites in 2022 in an effort to replace streetlights entirely in urban areas.

According to the head of the Tian Fu New Area Science Society Wu Chunfeng, the satellite, which will launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, will orbit roughly 300 miles above Chengdu, reflecting sunlight down to earth by way of a mirror-like coating. Citing the ability to control the artificial moon as one clear advantage over the actual moon, Chunfeng noted that both the brightness and location of the artificial moon can be altered or turned off entirely. Additionally, the artificial moon can be transported to other locations, to help with, for instance, disaster relief efforts in areas without power.

The objective is to reduce the costs of illuminating China’s busy streets via streetlamps. Using the man-made moon to illuminate 31 square miles of Chengdu’s skies could mean almost $175 million in savings each year.

Addressing concerns that the artificial moon might interfere with human and animal sleep patterns, Chunfeng explained that the impact will probably be minimal.

“We will only conduct our tests in an uninhabited desert, so our light beams will not interfere with any people or Earth-based space observation equipment,” Chunfeng said. “When the satellite is in operation, people will see only a bright star above, and not a giant moon as imagined.”